Electric Dacia Duster as a people's electric car: cheap, electric, all-wheel drive

Dacia is the undisputed king in the affordable vehicle segment – ​​and the brand intends to remain so even as it transitions to electric drive. That's why there will be a future electric Duster with all-wheel drive. The necessary platform already exists as a concept.

Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot has promised that a lot of focus will be on electrification at a presentation in November 2025. The CEO is likely to reveal eagerly awaited details on the transformation of Dacia's models to electric drivetrains. Currently, Dacia has only one electric model in its range, the Spring subcompact. It rolls off the production line at Dongfeng in Wuhan, China, and is marketed in South America as the Renault Kwid E-Tech. Dacia continues to equip its Sandero , Jogger, Duster, and Bigster models with combustion engines.

All-wheel drive like the Renault concept

Le Vot confirmed to Autocar that an electric Duster "will arrive in due course." While Dacia has not yet announced a concrete timeline or any concrete technical details for its electrification plan, there are clear indications. The electric Duster will be based on Renault's CMF-BEV platform (Common Module Family – Battery electric vehicle). The Renault 5.4 and the upcoming Twingo are also based on this platform. The CMF-BEF platform is the CMF-B platform on which the current Duster is based – supplemented with modifications to accommodate an electric drive. This platform will form the basis of all future Dacia electric cars.

Since all CMF BEV vehicles to date have been front-wheel drive, fans have wondered whether the Duster platform could accommodate an additional motor on the rear axle, enabling all-wheel drive. Renault recently presented a concept for an all-wheel drive R4 with a view to a future production model – for better off-road capability, the crossover will also have a motor in the rear. The Duster is very similar in size to the R4 – so it will most likely also have the option of having one motor in the front and one in the rear.

Duster as second electric model – then Sandero

The Duster will most likely be the brand's second electric model, with an electric Sandero likely to follow in 2027. Before then, Dacia plans to introduce two more models to complement the Bigster at the top of its model range. Both will likely still be launched with combustion engines, with sales scheduled to begin in 2027. Experts expect that the Duster and Sandero models will be available with both combustion engines and electric powertrains by 2030.

Dacia is taking a huge step with the upcoming Spring – the model will most likely be based on the future Twingo and will be built in a European factory. According to Autocar, the new Spring will cost around €18,000.

Cost-effective production

It's not yet known whether Dacia will build its electric models on the same lines as its combustion-engined versions. However, the manufacturer consistently emphasizes that the similarities in construction are an essential part of its low-price strategy, as they can be manufactured on the same assembly line.